This invention relates to a device and method for closure of ocular wounds, more particularly, closure of ocular wounds (surgical or traumatic) in order to make a watertight compression of the wound by a suture. The present invention allows for suture closure of ophthalmic wounds without creation of astigmatism (unwanted distortion of the cornea).
Prior art has been unable to eliminate induced astigmatism from suture closure of ocular wounds, whether surgical or traumatic. Alternative approaches to surgical wound closure for cataract operation, for example, have attempted to eliminate suturing in order to eliminate unwanted induced astigmatism. Such wounds are generally small (2-5 mm) and stepped so as to be self-sealing.
The present invention uses a novel means to eliminate induced astigmatism from suture closure of ophthalmic wounds. For ophthalmic surgery, this means the ability to use larger wound dimensions which permit safer and technically less demanding delicate eye surgery such as extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular implant insertion. In the cases of corneal transplant surgery, the present invention eliminates the heretofore unavoidable delay in recovery of vision due to high astigmatism. For management of ocular injuries such as corneal lacerations, it means the ability to achieve a watertight closure without inducing unwanted astigmatism (distortion of the central cornea). In order to facilitate the placement of the keratotomy incision in an atraumatic manner, a novel ultrasonic keratotomy knife is used.